New speed reduction programme in Rutland aims to ‘encourage better driving’

Driver speeds through Rutland’s villages will be checked as part of a new speed reduction programme.

Rutland County Council is hoping to ‘encourage better driving’ through the rural villages and the programme will start with a traffic data collection exercise to gauge the current speeds drivers are getting up to.

Speeding complaints are common in the county with many villages getting up their own local speedwatch initiatives to try and slow down speeds.

Cabinet member for transport Coun Christine Wise (Lib Dem) announced the lower speed scheme at a full council meeting recently (July 10).

She said: ”The speed reduction programme will seek to achieve lower speeds throughout the implementation of various measures that encourage better driving, including by the installation of village gateways, physical calming measures and improved road markings.

“Rutland County Council is conducting an exercise of traffic data collection to inform a baseline understanding of current speeds at key locations throughout the county, initially in villages, but potentially on the more open roads too.”

Average speed data will be used by the authority to assess which are the priority areas for speed reduction measures. Parish councils will also be surveyed to find out whether they wish to take on extra work.

Coun Wise did not give a budget for the project or say when the works are likely to begin.

Speeding was discussed at the council’s scrutiny meeting last month and leader Gale Waller (Lib Dem) said the budget does not go as far as villages have been asking for.

She said the issue is regularly discussed at the parish liaison meetings and the county does not have a particular high conviction rate , but did not know whether this was because of less police activity or whether the roads are safer. She said what was clear was that speeding usually was committed by people who live in the village where the crime occurred.

Chairperson of scrutiny Lucy Stephenson (Con) asked for data from community speedwatch as well as meeting minutes, so the matter could be looked at.